To be or not to be
by Alceme
Summary: In this world, there are no such things as coincidences. After all, how can there be coincidences in a world where life is given and taken within such short notice? Then why? Why do we strive to live? Why do we fight?
1. Chapter 1

**I posted this story around two years ago but deleted it after a few months because I had no idea where I was going with it. Well, when I was organizing my documents a few weeks ago, I ran into this and... well, lets just say I started thinking again. I am going to post this slowly as inspiration comes.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Gakuen Alice, I wish I did though.**

**Anywhoo, I hope you enjoy!**

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**Chapter I**

Fire and smoke filled the atmosphere. As far as the eye could see, there was only destruction. The entire village burned to ashes as horses ran around with their riders mounted onto them. Screams of children, women, and men echoed throughout the village as every living being met the ends of swords or other weapons. From the edge of the cliff that overlooked the village, a group of men stood and stared down at the burning village, waiting. At the front lines of the group, stood two men who were considerably younger than the rest of the men waiting by the cliff. Of the two, the one with midnight black hair walked forward until he was standing at the edge. His crimson eyes overlooked the destruction before he turned to the rest.

"How long," he ordered, his bass voice resonating.

"At least an hour your highness," answered one of the men and Natsume turned back to the sight of the burning village and gritted his teeth.

"That's too long, send more men in, I want everyone, everyone in that pathetic excuse of a village dead!" he yelled causing the blonde-haired boy next to him to snap up.

"Natusme! Isn't it enough already?" he yelled, his blue eyes full of horror before he turned back to the village where he heard the screams echo from the distance. But when Natsume turned to face him, Ruka felt the blood drain from his face when he saw Natsume's eyes. Anger, so much anger was in his eyes before Natsume gritted his teeth.

"They deserve what they're getting, Ruka," he growled and Ruka's eyes widened before he simply nodded his head and the two teens turned back to the sight of the village.

…..

Screams and pants filled the smoky air as a young girl with light brown hair ran around the village. Her brown eyes widened when she saw one of the invaders kill a young couple without mercy. As she ran, her chocolate brown eyes searched the area for someone when she someone grab her arm and she was whirled around to come face to face with one of the invaders. When the man saw her, his eyes brightened and he smiled revealing two rows of rotten, yellow teeth. The man started to laugh maniacally before he raised his sword to cut her down. But she was quicker. Dodging the incoming blade, the girl pulled out a dagger placed in her boots and stabbed the man's chest. His eyes widened for a second before blood started to trickle down his mouth and he gave an anguished, agonized cry before he fell facedown onto the dirt. When he was down, the girl turned around to see men approaching her. Pulling out the dagger imbedded in the man's chest, she started to run. As she ran, she desperately scanned the area for any other survivors. When she ran past an old hut, she suddenly stopped when she heard cries coming from inside. When she opened the door, her eyes widened when she saw two children along with their mother hunched in the corner. Their eyes were filled with terror but when they saw her, they relaxed a bit before she ran up to them.

"Are you alright?" she asked and the mother only nodded as tears started to fall down her face.

"They killed my husband!" she cried and the girl only nodded before she looked at the two children who were holding onto each other for dear life.

"We need to get out of here, I know a safe place, the other villagers are probably there," she whispered and the woman only looked up in terror.

"We can't! They'll kill us!" she cried again but the girl only smiled before she placed a hand on her chest and crossed her fingers. The woman's eyes widened at the girl's actions before she looked up.

"I promise, I'll protect you and your children to the best of my ability, I promise this on my name,"

"But," the woman started when the two heard footsteps and shouts heading their way, Snapping up, the girl abruptly stood and her eyes scanned the area before her eyes settled on a bow and a quiver of arrows on the far wall. Looking down, her eyes met the woman's.

"We need to move quickly, by the sounds of it, they're close. I'll take you to the temple, once we're there, you'll be safe, the invaders should leave after raiding the village, and whatever you do," and she stared at the woman dead in the eye. "Don't get caught," and the woman nodded before she grabbed her children and headed towards the back door. Peeking her head out, the woman checked to see if the coast was clear before she turned to the girl and nodded.

"Let's go," the girl whispered as she led the woman and her two children into the destroyed streets. As they made their way to the temple, one of the children fell over and screamed. The girl stopped running before she whipped her head around to see the little boy screaming in pain and her eyes widened when she heard the sounds of shouts and footsteps approaching.

"Naoki!" screamed the woman beside her as she tried to run to her son but the girl stopped her.

"Go! I'll take him!" and she ran over and picked the boy up and looked around. "Hurry!" she yelled and the woman's eyes widened before she grabbed her daughter's hand and ran.

"Are you alright?" asked the girl to the boy and he only nodded as tears fell down his face,

"I'm scared," he whispered as he buried his head onto her shoulders. Nodding the girl patted the boys head before she stood up and ran.

"We'll be safe, I'll protect you, with everything I have," she whispered as she ran and ran. As she ran nonstop, the girl's eyes scanned the area for any of the invaders and when she saw none nearby, she relaxed a bit before she heard screams in the distance. Naoki's eyes widened as he recognized the voice.

"Mommy!" he yelled and the girl's eyes widened as she quickened her pace until she stood in front of the temple. But at the sight before her, her eyes widened. Before her were the bodies of all the villagers with their blood soaking the dirt. Her eyes scanned for any survivors when Naoki's screams entered her head and she looked down to see Naoki pulling at a body screaming as tears fell down his face. When she walked over, the girl's eyes widened when she saw Naoki's mother and sister's bodies on the ground. Blood soaked through their clothes as their eyes were open portraying horror and Naoki's mother's mouth was open as if she was screaming.

"Mommy!" screamed Naoki as he shook his mother's body. The girl only stared at the pile of bodies before her when she heard laughter and shouts approaching. Grabbing Naoki's arm, she dragged the crying boy behind one of the many destroyed carts. When she looked up from her hiding place her brown eyes widened when she saw a man around her age on his horse heading her way. His midnight black hair glistened in the morning sun's light and when he turned, her eyes widened when she saw a pair of crimson eyes searching the area. Beside him a blonde haired boy with sky blue eyes also scanned the area. As the got closer and closer, her grip on the bow tightened.

"Monsters," she whispered, her eyes narrowing before she turned to Naoki. "When I say go, you run as fast as you can to the temple, whatever you do, don't stop, no matter what happens, they can't touch you once you're inside. Henna will protect you," and she looked around as her grip on the bow and arrow tightened to the point her hands were deathly white. As she waited for the men to get closer, she counted that there were a total of 30 men in the area.

"Ready?" she asked as she turned her head to Naoki who only grabbed her arm and his eyes widened.

"No!" he whispered and his grip on her arm tightened. "We need to stay together!" and the girl's eyes widened before she looked down at Naoki and patted his head.

"It'll be alright, I need you to be brave, okay?" and after a few seconds, Naoki looked up and nodded as he wiped the tears off his face. "Good," she said before she looked around and saw the men were close. Making sure the bow was strung; she aimed the arrow at the one of the men in the back. "Ready?" she asked as she glanced back at Naoki who nodded before she smiled and looked back at her target.

"GO!" she yelled as she released the arrow and she and Naoki fled, the boy running towards the temple and her into the forest.

Natsume's eyes scanned the area for any living being when he suddenly saw one of the men in the back scream and he whipped his head around to see an arrow protruding from the man's chest and he saw a figure run towards the forest. His crimson eyes filled with anger at the thought of a survivor in the village.

"Get him!" he yelled as he pulled the reigns of his horse as he and his men started to chase the figure.

As she ran, she kept turning back to see the men chasing after her. A stream of curses left her mouth before she pulled an arrow out of the quiver and aimed. When the men were a few yards away, she fired. A small smile appeared on her face as she saw the arrow embed into one of the men's chest causing him to fall off his horse. Turning back around, she continued to run when her eyes widened at the sight of more men and horses approaching her from the front. They were trapping her in. The girl's eyes narrowed before she looked over to her right to see no men coming towards her. Smiling, she jumped up as one of the men on his horse charged at her with his sword aiming for her chest. As she dodged, she jumped onto the horse's back and pulled out an arrow from the quiver and stabbed the man's back. When the man's body went limp, the girl pushed him off the saddle before she grabbed the reigns and urged the horse to speed on. Showers of arrows started to rain around her but she just gritted her teeth as the horse kept going. Suddenly, the horse reared back causing the girl to fall off onto the forest floor. When she got up, her eyes widened when she saw an arrow protruding from the left hind leg of the horse as it neighed and thrashed around. Running over, the girl gritted her teeth as she pulled the arrow out and examined the damage.

"Damn them," she cursed when she heard hoof beats approaching and the shouts of the men getting closer and closer. The girl paused as she looked at the pained look on the animal on the ground before she clenched her fists and ran deeper into the forest. As her breaths became more frantic, the girl glanced back to see the torches of the men following her as the sun started to set. AS the darkness of the forest started to settle, a small smile appeared on the girl's face as she realized that as soon as the sun was gone, she would have an advantage. The raiders were unfamiliar with the forest and its many inhabitants. She on the other hand, knew the forest like the back of her hand. Many times she and some of the other village children would sneak off into the forest and play. At the thought of the other villagers, the girl chocked back a sob. The villagers, they had treated her so well even after she was brought to the village two years prior. When she snapped out of her memory trance, the girl looked up and smiled when she saw that the sun was completely set and the moon was the only thing that illuminated the dark forest. Looking back, the girl looked for the torches of the raiders and when she saw none, she smiled before she walked on until she reached a clearing in the center of the forest. The clearing was her little hiding spot, whenever she wanted to get away from everything, whenever she wanted to clear her mind, she came to the clearing. It was about a thirty minute walk from the village but it was worth it. There was a small pond in the clearing and during the day the pond was full of life as the animals in the forest came out into the clearing to play. She usually just watched as the animals played. To her, it was a sense of peace, something that her world needed. For most of her life, there was a tension between the Yukihara and Hyuga kingdoms. The girl's eyes narrowed as she remembered when the war started. She was fifteen at the time.

The princess of the Hyuga kingdom was kidnapped while she was on a diplomatic trip to the Yukihara kingdom. She was assumed dead after six months of searching. The royal family of the Hyuga family declared war on the Yukihara kingdom. The girl's blood boiled as she remembered the declaration on her homeland by the Hyuga kingdom. They had blatantly accused the people in the Yukihara kingdom for killing their precious princess when they had no proof of her disappearance. The Hyuga kingdom then started raids on the villages on the border of the two kingdoms. She was then forced to move from her home to one of the villages in the North. She was sixteen when she was forced to leave her home, her family, and her friends. When she first arrived at the village, all of the villagers were wary of her. She was an outsider; she was different from them due to her origins. But over the two years she spent at the village, they became her family, the village became her home.

The girl gripped her bow as images of the villagers corpses piled on top each other flashed in her head. Why? Why was it her village? No one hurt anyone, most of the villagers were traders and merchants who often went to the capital and came back with the latest news and fashions. Only a handful of the villagers including her even knew how to wield a weapon and even fight. So why? And also, how? How did the raiders find the village? The village was located in the Northern region of the kingdom and was surrounded by trees and nature. There was no way an outsider would know how to locate the village. The girl pondered her thoughts when she heard the sound of a branch breaking. Immediately, she snapped up and pulled an arrow from the quiver on her back and fitted it to her bow. Taking aim, she aimed at where the sound originated. Her eyes narrowed as her grip on the bow tightened as she listened for any footsteps.

After a few minutes, a deer walked out into the clearing. Sighing the girl relaxed and put her bow down as the deer walked away. When it was gone, the girl sat quietly as she listened for anymore sounds out of the ordinary. When she heard no sounds other than the sounds of the wind and crickets echo in her ears the girl sighed before she looked around for shelter. Finding a tree with a huge trunk, the girl walked over and sat down. Once she was situated leaned against the bark as she closed her eyes. Tomorrow would be another day, she needed to get to the nearest village to send a message to the capital. Her village, the one village that was deemed safe, was attacked. She needed to tell someone before it was too late.

The Hyuga kingdom had penetrated the Northern border of the Yukihara kingdom.

….

Anger was an understatement of the emotion that he was feeling. Natsume was furious. Not only did burning the village take longer than expected, one person managed to escape into the forest. Even though he had ordered his men to follow, no one was able to follow after the sun set. The soldiers were unfamiliar with the forest and its terrains. Sighing in frustration, Natsume had ordered for the search party to disperse and keep searching but he knew it was futile. The person who had escaped was obviously familiar with the forest so by the time they had the help of daylight, the person would be long gone. At the moment, he just wanted to burn something. He wanted the people in the Yukihara kingdom to suffer. They had killed her. They had killed his innocent little sister. His sister who was deemed missing. He knew that they had killed her. The Yukihara kingdom was full of barbarians who only killed. That's the tale he was told growing up. At first, he thought the ongoing tension between the two kingdoms was stupid. Until they took Aoi.

She was only thirteen, three years younger than he was. She was on a diplomatic trip to the Yukihara kingdom. He was supposed to accompany her but something came up in the Southern border so he was needed. When he returned, he was told about Aoi's kidnapping. Then, six months later, she was deemed dead by the Yukihara kingdom.

His blood boiled at the memory of the day when his father declared war on the Yukihara kingdom. It was a day he could never forget. He was attending one of the council meetings as the crown prince when the news of his sister's death got to him. He didn't even need to look over to see the devastated look on his father's face. He knew. The temperature of the room increased exponentially as the council members looked over to their king who had his head buried in his hands. When he looked back up, everyone in the room excluding Natsume flinched at the fury in his eyes.

"They're going to pay," he whispered and Natsume couldn't help but smirk. Damn right. The Yukihara kingdom was going to pay. They were going to pay for killing his sister.

Hearing his tent open, the raven-haired boy turned around with a hard gaze. Crimson clashed with blue and Natsume remained emotionless when he saw his childhood and only friend staring back at him.

"What Ruka," demanded Natsume as he ran a hand through his messy raven hair before he sat down on one of the chairs and let out a frustrated sigh and closed his eyes

Ruka stared at his friend with a concerned look in his eyes

"The survivor was injured; he couldn't have gotten far,"

"By the time the sun comes up, he'll be long gone," retorted Natsume as he leaned his head back on the chair. Ruka stared at him blankly when he heard the sound of wings. Walking outside, the blonde's blue eyes widened when he saw one his owls flying towards him. When the owl landed on his arm, Ruka smiled down at it as he stroke the bird's belly.

"Good work, anything?" he asked as the owl looked at him before it opened its beak and hooted. Ruka's eyes widened as he translated the owl's message in his head.

"Natsume!" he yelled as he burst into the room and his eyes widened when he saw his friend fast asleep on the chair. His eyes narrowed when he saw the dark circles forming under his friends eyes. He knew that Natsume wasn't getting any sleep lately. From the moment they left the Hyuga kingdom, Natsume was aware of everything, he refused to sleep and simply answered the questions by the others with

"I'm not sleepy," but Ruka knew. The main reason Natsume couldn't sleep was because of his nightmares. Even though the raven-haired prince never said anything, Ruka knew that he was plagued with the guilt of not being escorting his sister to the Yukihara kingdom. Natsume blamed himself for Aoi's kidnapping and death. Even though many assured him that he was not at fault, Natsume still blamed himself for everything. For the past two years, Natsume was plagued with the nightmares stemming from the guilt he felt. It took the most powerful sleeping drugs to get Natsume to sleep without him waking up in the middle of the night gasping for air. But now that they were away from the capital of the Hyuga kingdom and from the royal physicians, Natsume was plagued with the nightmares again. So instead of facing them, the prince chose to sacrifice his sleep. Ruka paused at the sight of Natsume sleeping before he looked over at the owl on his shoulder. It would be better to tell him now, before the survivor got away, he concluded and he looked over at Natsume.

"We know where the survivor is," as soon as the words left his mouth, Natsume's eyes snapped open before he bolted up and glared at Ruka.

"Where," he growled and Ruka looked over at the owl on his shoulder and listened to the owl speak.

"Deep in the forest there's a clearing, this little guy," stated Ruka as he gently petted the owl's feathered body, "Said that there was a person sleeping there,"

Natsume looked at the owl with a serious look.

"Ruka, if that owl is lying or trying to trick us, I'll burn it," warned Natsume causing Ruka's eyes to widen.

"Natsume!" he yelled before he looked back at the owl who was shivering at the tense gaze on Natsume's face. "It's okay," cooed the blonde as he gently stroke the owl and a few minutes later, the bird stopped shaking before it looked over at Natsume with its yellow eyes. Once the owl was calmed down, Ruka looked over at Natsume.

"So, what's our plan now?" he asked and a small smile appeared on Natsume's face.

"Tell the men to assemble at daybreak; we're going into the forest,"

….

The girl's eyes snapped open when the smell of burning wood entered her nostrils. When she sat up from the trunk of the tree slept against, the girl's eyes widened when she saw the tree surrounding the clearing ablaze. The thick black smoke from the burning trees entered her lungs and the girl coughed violently as she grabbed the bow and quiver of arrows. Her brown eyes desperately searched for any means of escape from the inferno. Her vision started to blacken as the smoke filled her lungs as her breathe started to come out labored and the girl wheezed and tried to hold her breath to no avail.

'Can't breathe,' she thought before her vision went black.

…

Natsume stared at the burning forest before him with narrowed eyes. He could see his soldiers whispering behind him. Ruka looked over at Natsume with a concerned gaze.

"Natsume, are you sure you're okay? Using your alice when you're not in the best condition," he started but the look on Natsume's face cut him off. His crimson eyes were full of determination before he looked back at the fire. His eyes narrowed as he saw the smoke from the fire reaching towards the sky.

"Once the fire dies down, go and find the body, I trust your animals will be able to help," stated Natsume and Ruka slowly nodded his head as he looked at the conflagration before him.

…

As soon as the fire died down, Natsume looked over at the soldiers who then nodded before they ran into the forest. As he watched the men disappear into the forest, Natsume's eyes narrowed.

…..

When she opened her eyes, the girl's eyes widened before she started coughing violently. When the coughing fit was over, the girl gasped as fresh air entered her lungs. When she caught her much needed breath, the girl slowly sat up and looked around. When she took in the destruction around her, her eyes fell downcast. The trees surrounding the clearing were now black and the smell of burnt wood lingered in the air. Slowly she turned around to see herself surrounded by the remains of the forest fire. Only the pond was untouched. Chocking back sobs, the girl collapsed onto her knees. First her village, now her clearing, both were gone, swallowed up by fire and destruction. The girl silently cried as her grip on the bow in her hand tightened when she heard shouts and footsteps approaching. Snapping up, the girl whipped her head around and her eyes widened when she saw five men running towards her. Pulling out an arrow from the quiver, the girl took aim at one of the men and fired. The arrow barely missed the man's head and the girl's eyes narrowed before she took off deeper into the forest.

As she ran, the girl turned her head to see the men catching up to her. Gritting her teeth, the girl quickened her pace as she tried to out run the men following her. The girl didn't notice a midnight-haired man with crimson eyes watching her every move as she ran closer and closer to the edge of the forest. When she saw the clearing up ahead signaling that she was near the next village, the girl smiled. She was going to be able to tell others what happened. Suddenly, one of the trees next to her burst into the flame and the girl held back a scream as the tree fell over on the spot she was standing on ten second earlier. The girl's eyes widened when she saw the trees infront of her burst into flames. Turning around, the girl saw the men that were chasing her standing before her with smiles on their faces.

"No," she whispered as five of the men ran towards her. Dodging their arms, the girl pulled another arrow out of the quiver aimed at the men. Her eyes narrowed as her grip on the bow and arrow tightened.

"Stay away," she warned and the men stared at her for a few seconds before they burst out into laughter. The girl's eyes narrowed even more as she fired the arrow, hitting one of the men in his chest. Pulling out another arrow, the girl aimed once again and the men hesitated. Turning around, the girl aimed at each men as she slowly started to take steps back.

"Stay away," she repeated and the men looked at her with the looks of anger on their faces.

….

Natsume's eyes narrowed when he saw the survivor kill one of his soldiers and his eyes narrowed even more when he saw her take steps back into the forest with another arrow notched to the bow and aiming at the men. His crimson eyes looked at the bow and arrow in the girl's hands.

'_Burn,'_ he thought and he smiled when he saw the bow burst into flames and the look on the girl's face as she realized that her bow was on fire. He waited for her to drop the bow scream but his eyes only widened when he saw the fire on the bow suddenly die out.

"What?" he hissed and he saw the girl whirl around and aim her arrow at him and fire.

…

The girl's eyes widened when she saw her bow suddenly burst into flames. The men around her also reacted by jumping back. The girl only stared at the bow in her hand and flinched as the flames engulfed her hand.

'_Stop it!'_ she inwardly screamed and a small smile appeared on her face as the fire immediately died out. As the men around her recovered from the shock, the girl whirled around and fired the arrow into the shadows. As she waited, the girl failed to notice the men recover and one ran up to her and grabbed her arms. Her eyes widened as she opened her mouth to scream when a dirty piece of cloth was shoved into her mouth effectively muffling her screams. One of the men kneed the girl on her stomach and the girl groaned as she fell onto her knees as the men forcefully took the bow and quiver away from her. Gritting her teeth, the girl thrashed around when a sudden pain filled her head and her vision went black.

…..

As the men carried the unconscious figure in front of him, Natsume felt his eyes narrow at the person who had caused so much trouble. The girl was obviously around his age, maybe a year or two younger than he was. Her tangled light brown hair fell well past the girl's shoulders to her waist. Her face was dirty with the soot and dirt from the fire and village. She had caused the life of three of his men. The fact that she was able to even fire and arrow and hit a target interested him.

The only thought that came to his mind was that the girl was different. Not only did she know how to fight, she possessed an Alice. Even though he was unsure of exactly what her Alice was, Nastume knew that the girl's Alice had stopped his flames. As he looked down at the girl, a spark on interest stirred in him and Natsume glared at the girl before him before he turned to the other men.

"Take her to the camp, when she wakes up, I'll deal with her," he ordered and the men bowed before they half carried, half dragged the girl away.

Ruka looked over to see the smug smile on Natsume's face and he looked back at the men taking the unconscious girl away.

"Natsume, what do you intend to do with her?" asked the blonde before he turned to his friend and his blue eyes widened when he saw the smile on the prince's face.

"You'll see," he answered, his crimson eyes full of an entertainment and anger.

…

The sounds of men cheering and the sounds of laughter was what the girl woke up to. When she turned her head, her eyes widened when she saw that she was on a bed in an unknown tent. When she tried to stand up, her eyes widened even more when she realized that her legs and hands were tied together, hindering her movement. A gag was placed into her mouth muting her voice. Frantically, the girl tried to loosen the bindings on her wrists when she heard the tent flap open and footsteps enter. Slowly the girl turned around and when she did, crimson met brown.

Natsume's eyes widened before they instantly narrowed a second later when he saw the captive awake. When she turned around, Natsume saw a pair of brown eyes staring right at him. He smirked when he saw the fear in the girl's eyes before they were immediately replaced with anger. The girl jumped up and tried to attack him when the bindings on her legs caused her to lose her balance. Natsume held back a laugh when he saw the girl fall onto the ground and he smirked when he saw her struggling to get up.

"It's no use," he stated and the girl looked back at him with wide eyes. Kneeling down so that he was on level with her, Natsume grabbed the girl's chin forcing her to look up at him.

"You're mine," he growled as his grip on her chin tightened and the girl winced when her eyes wandered to the emblem on the man's chest. Her eyes widened at the sight of the red flower.

'_No. It can't be!'_ she inwardly screamed as she stared wide eyed at the fireflower on the man's chest.

Natsume followed the girl's gaze and he smirked when he saw the emblem of the royal family of the Hyuga Kingdom on his clothes. He looked back at the girl and forced her to look at him again.

"Natsume Huyga, Crown prince of the Hyuga Kingdom," he whispered and his eyes lightened in amusement when he saw the terror pass through the girl's face. Leaning in, Natsume's crimson eyes locked with the girl as his face was only inches away from hers.

"And now, you're my slave,"

* * *

**So what did you think? I'm going to work on the other chapters and have at least a few in store before I update the next chapter...**

**Hope you enjoyed!**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Hi, so here is the second chapter, I seriously need to go and get some more chapters done before I post up the next one. I hope you guys enjoy!**_

_**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Gakuen Alice!**_

_**Hope you enjoy!**_

* * *

_**Chapter II**_

...

It wasn't supposed to be like this. This wasn't how her day was supposed to be.

She was supposed to go see the merchants when they came back to the village. She was supposed to hear about the war and how their village was safe. Her village should have never been attacked. Her friends shouldn't have died. And she was definitely not supposed to be tied down like a criminal in front of the crown prince of the Hyuga Kingdom. Her eyes widened when she heard his words.

'_Slave?'_ she inwardly screamed as she tried to pull her head away to which the prince's eyes narrowed as his grip tightened. Pulling her forward, Natsume stared down at the girl before a smile appeared on his face.

"Since you are now mine, you'll have to do as I say," he stated and he watched as the girl thrashed around even more and he heard her muffled screams. He watched with amusement when he heard the flap of the tent open and he turned his head to meet a pair of wide blue eyes. Sighing, the prince stood up and looked at his friend.

"What is it Ruka?" he asked and the blonde looked from his friend to the girl on the ground before the blush on his face faded.

"The men wanted to know what's going to happen next," and Natsume paused before he looked back at the girl and a smile appeared on his face.

"Ruka, what about the bodies of the villagers?' he asked and the girl snapped up at his words and her brown eyes went to the blonde named Ruka. Her actions were taken note of by Natsume and he smirked before he looked back at Ruka waiting for his friends answer.

"We were planning on burying them tonight," and Natsume frowned.

"No, I want all the men to gather the bodies by sundown," and Ruka looked over at Natsume to see a smile on his face.

"What are you planning Natsume?" he asked and the crown prince turned his head back to the girl before him.

"Burn them," he whispered and the girl's eyes widened before her blood started to boil. Using all of her energy, she lunged forward and tackled the raven-haired man down. Natsume flinched a bit and when he opened his eyes, he was met with the girl's furious brown orbs as she hit his chest multiple times. He inwardly smiled as he saw her anger and he heard her muffled voice.

Ruka's eyes widened when he saw the captive suddenly lunge forward at Natsume and tackle the boy down. He looked over at his friend and saw the look of amusement pass through his friends face before the raven-haired man grabbed the girl's hair pulling her off of his body. The girl continued to thrash around and Ruka saw the annoyance of Natsume's face before the crown prince growled and punched the girl's gut. Both the girl and Ruka's eyes widened before the girl went limp in Natsume's arms.

Natsume watched with blank eyes as the girl crumble on the grass before he stood up and dusted off his clothes.

"Make sure the men do as I say," he ordered and Ruka nodded before he walked towards the exit of the tent. At the flap, Ruka looked back at Natsume who had migrated to the chair on the other side of the tent.

"Natsume, what do you plan on doing with her?" he asked and his blue eyes widened when he saw the smile appear on Natsume's face and when he looked up. Ruka saw the amusement in his friend's eyes.

"She's my slave,"

Ruka felt the blood drain from his face before he ran over to Natsume and grabbed his arms.

"Natsume! You can't be serious! She's from the Yukihara Kingdom! The minute she steps into the Hyuga Kingdom, she's a dead person!" and Natsume glared up at his friend.

"She should have died with the rest of those sad little villagers, instead of killing her, I going to take her back to the capital,"

"But Natsume-!" stared Ruka when the raven-haired man just glared up at him.

"What," he demanded, his voice dropping and the temperature of the tent increased exponentially. Ruka paused before he saw that his friend was serious.

"Nothing," he whispered and Natsume smirked before the temperature of the tent dropped until it was at its normal temperature.

….

She opened her eyes to be surrounded by darkness. When she sat up, the smell of burning flesh hit her nose. Snapping up, the girl whipped her head around when she heard cheering outside the tent. Running out, her eyes widened when she saw a fire in the middle of all the men. When she saw the pile of bodies, her blood boiled before she opened her mouth and screamed.

…

Natsume stared at the fire before him with a blank expression on his face. The men had done what he had ordered them to do. They had gathered all the bodies of the villagers and after sundown, he used his alice to burn them. He heard the cheering of the men behind him when he heard muffled scream. He didn't even need to turn to know that it was his slave. Slowly turning his head, he saw her stare at the pile of burning bodies with a horrified expression on her face. He saw how tears formed around her eyes before she fell onto her knees and screamed again. Even though the gag muffled her voice, Natsume clearly heard the anguish in her voice and her desperation as she screamed and screamed. Through his peripheral vision, he saw the look of pity on Ruka's face and he turned his head to see the men all staring at the girl with a look of amusement in their eyes. He also saw how the men were looking at the girl with a look of desire. His blood started to boil when he saw their gazes linger on the girl's exposed legs and his eyes narrowed when he saw that the clothes she was wearing were tattered and smeared with dirt and grass. Walking over towards her, Natsume knelt down and forced her to look up at him. When he did, he saw the furious gaze in her eyes and he smirked before he leaned and licked the crook of her neck. He heard the audible gasps of all the men and he didn't even need to say anything before the men understood.

The girl was his, and NO ONE else's.

…

Anger, horror, and most of all desperation. The girl's eyes widened when she saw the body of the villagers being burned before her very eyes. Falling onto her knees, the girl screamed and she ignored the fact that the gag muffled her voice but she kept screaming as tears streamed down her face.

They were monsters. They raided an innocent village, killed everyone in it, and worst of all, the men of the Hyuga Kingdom didn't even have the decency to even bury the villagers. They just burned them, as if the villagers were wood or trash. The smell burning flesh made her want to vomit and the girl chocked back at the pungent smell. She could hear them. She could still hear the screams and shouts of the villagers as they were killed when the raid started. She saw their blood wet the ground until her feet were covered in them. She felt sick.

Suddenly, she saw a figure kneel down before her before someone grabbed her chin and forced her to look up. When she did, her brown orbs met the intense gaze of the crown prince. Immediately, anger surged up in the girl again as she saw the amusement in his eyes.

He was the leader, he was the one who had ordered them to raid her village. He was the one who killed all of her villagers. He was the one who didn't even have a tiny bit of decency. He was the one who had ordered the men to gather the bodies. He was the one who had set the bodies on fire. She saw him smirk before he leaned and licked her bare neck. Her eyes widened as she felt a jolt of electricity pass through her entire body and she screamed although her voice was muffled again. When she looked back up at the crimson-eyed prince, her eyes widened when she saw the intense glare he was giving her before he threw her over his shoulder like a sack of flour. She screamed through the gag as she kicked her legs and punched the man's back in vain. She didn't even need to look to know that the man was smiling as he carried her towards his tent. Once they were inside, Natsume dumped the girl onto the cot causing her to squeak. When she looked up, she saw Natsume standing over her with an unreadable expression. When she looked away, his eye twitched befor he grabbed her chin and forced her to look up at him again. Brown clashed with crimson and the girl's eyes narrowed when she saw Natsume glaring down at her. The two remained in an intense eye contest until the flap of the tent opened and Ruka walked in.

The blonde haired man two heads whip in his direction when he walked in at the moment all Ruka wanted to do was to walk back out. Gulping, Ruka smiled at Natsume.

"What is it now Ruka?" sighed Natsume running a hand through his messy raven-hair. Ruka only smiled in return before he looked over at the girl's tattered appearance.

"Why don't we allow her to clean up? We're going to be on the road starting tomorrow and if we don't run into trouble, we'll reach the Hyuga capitol in two days," he stated and he saw the girl snap up and stare at him with wide eyes. Tears started to form in her eyes and Ruka's eyes widened in return before he turned to Natsume.

"She doesn't know?" he asked to which the prince just looked over with an annoyed look.

"Hm," grunted Natsume as he walked towards the flap of the tent. When he was at the opening, Natsume turned his head and his crimson eyes locked with Ruka's blue orbs.

"Find out what you can about her," and with that, Natsume walked out of the tent leaving Ruka with the captive. The blonde haired boy looked down at the girl to see her curled up as tears streamed down her cheeks. When he took a step forward, the girl snapped up and looked up at him with a mix of fear and anger. Ruka smiled down at the girl before he knelt down and examined her. On her cheek was a scratch from hitting the ground earlier and the area around her chin was red from Natsume's grip. After checking for any more injuries, Ruka finally looked up at her and his eyes widened. A pair of brown eyes stared back at him and Ruka felt a jolt of electricity hit him before he shook his head vigorously and he reached out and touched the girl's cheek and fingered the scratch. The girl flinched back at his movements and Ruka offered her a soft smile.

"Its okay, I won't hurt you," he stated and the girl stared at him with a wary expression. Ruka sighed before he reached over and started to untie the bindings on her wrists. Her eyes widened before she snapped her head back up at the blonde who only smiled as he gently untied her bindings. When her wrists were free, the girl lunged forward, aiming for the blonde's neck when he caught her wrists and held in one hand and his other hand grabbed her ankles and pinned them down.

"I'm trying to help you, but if you keep trying to attack me, I'll have to tie your wrists together again," he warned, but his eyes told her to keep still and that he didn't want to hurt her. The girl glared at him before she relaxed her arm and leg muscles. Ruka smiled when the girl stopped squirming before he worked on her ankles. After he untied her, he reached over and removed the gag from her mouth and the girl coughed for a few seconds before she rasped for breath. When she looked back up, her brown eyes met his blue as she opened her mouth.

"Water.. please," she croaked and Ruka's eyes widened before he stood up and walked towards the other side of the tent. Taking a goblet, Ruka poured water into it before he walked over and handed it to the girl. The girl's eyes widened before she snatched the goblet away and quickly swallowed the water causing some of it to splash onto her clothes. Ruka stared at the girl as she swallowed the water and looked back at Ruka with a pleading look asking for more. A small smile appeared on the blonde's face as he poured more water into the goblet before he handed it over to her. This time, the girl took the goblet from him and instead of chugging it down, swallowed it in little sips and she inwardly sighed as the water helped her burning and parched throat. When she finished the water, the girl placed the goblet down and took a deep breath before she looked up at Ruka.

The blond smiled when he saw that the girl had finished the water and was now looking up at him. Taking the goblet from her hands, Ruka placed it next to him as he sat down on the ground in front of her.

"Better?" he asked and the girl nodded when the tent flap opened and a soldier walked in. Ruka stood up and turned to face the soldier who nodded his head at Ruka.

"Sire, the horses are restless again," he stated and Ruka nodded before he looked down at the girl and at the soldier.

"Take care of her until either Natsume or I get back," he ordered and the soldier nodded. Turning back to the girl, he smiled softly before walked out of the tent. When he saw gone, the soldier stared down at the girl and she in return look up at him. Her eyes widened when she saw the sword attached to the soldier's belt. Following her gaze, the soldier's eyes narrowed before he looked back at the girl and grabbed her hands. Immediately, the girl snapped up and her right leg swung back before she kicked him in the stomach. The soldier groaned as the breath was knocked out of him. When he fell back, he saw the girl smile before she stood up and ran towards the flap. Before she could reach it, she felt a hand grab her leg and she turned her head to see the man grab her leg. Her eyes narrowed before she knelt down and hit the back of his neck knocking him out. She smiled when she saw that the man went limp before she unbuckled the sword from the man's belt before she looked around. Her eyes spotted a black cloak in the corner of the tent and a smile appeared on her face as she ran over and grabbed it. Puling the cloak around her body, the girl strapped the sword onto her waist before she walked over to the tent flap. Pulling the hood of the cloak over her face, she made sure her face was hidden from sight before she walked out. Once she was out, the girl kept her head down as she slowly made her way towards the forest. As she walked towards the edge of the camp, she saw a bow and quiver of arrows laying by one of the sleeping soldiers. Quietly, she snuck over and quickly grabbed the bow and quiver when she saw a piece of bread in the man's hand. Her stomach growled and the girl grimaced before she grabbed the leftover bread from the soldier's hand before she stood up and ran towards the forest. As she got farther from the camp, a smile broke out on the girl's face.

She had escaped. She was now able to warn the other villagers. Too caught up in her thoughts, the girl failed to notice an owl watching her every movement before it turned and flew back to the camp.

…..

Natsume's eyes narrowed when he stepped into the tent and he noticed an absence of a certain slave girl. His eyes narrowed even more when he saw an unconscious soldier on the ground. His eyes widened when he saw the sword from the soldier's belt gone and his cloak gone. To say he was angry was an understatement. He was furious.

"RUKA!" roared Natsume as he walked up to his friend. The blonde turned to see the furious gaze in his friends face and forced himself to breathe as fear took over.

"Yes?" he asked.

"She escaped," growled Natsume, his eyes full of fury as he clenched his fists. He was going to kill her when he got her. How dare she run away? He had even spared her! He could have killed her easily with his alice or with his sword but he just made her into a slave. She should have been grateful to him. His eyes narrowed before one of the trees near the camp burst into flames. His shoulder shook from the anger he was feeling. When he looked up, Ruka's eyes widened before he turned to the other soldier's.

"Find her!" he ordered and the men scrambled around.

Ruka looked back at his friend to see the fury in his eyes when an owl landed on his shoulder. When the owl relayed its message to him, the blonde's eyes widened before he snapped his head towards Natsume.

"Natsume! She's in the forest, we'll be able to get her on the horses!" and Natsume whirled around, his eyes full of an unreadable expression before he walked off towards the horses.

….

The sound of hoofbeats echoed in the girl's ears and her eyes widened when she saw the torches of the soldiers approaching. Picking up her pace, the girl keep running when her foot caught on one of the roots of one of the trees. She held back a scream as her body tumbled onto the ground. When she got up, the girl winced when she felt a searing pain on her left foot. When she looked down, her eyes widened when she saw that her ankle was twisted and the flesh around it was starting to swell. Holding back a scream, she held her ankle and forced herself to breathe.

Breathe in. Breathe out. She forced herself to breath as she held onto her ankle as the throbbing pain increased. The sounds of the mens voices filled her ears and the girl's eyes widened when she saw that the men were only a few feet away. Limping over to a tree, the hid her body and looked down at her ankle again. The area around it was now a blaring red and swollen. Gritting her teeth, the girl grabbed the bottom of the cloak and ripped if off before wrapping her ankle. As the voices neared her, she grabbed the bow and quiver of arrows and took aim. Her eyes narrowed as she waited for the men to come closer. She wasn't going to be caught again. She needed to get away. She needed to warn the other villagers. She needed to alert the capital. Her grip on the bow and arrow tightened when a hand grabbed her arms and slammed her body into the tree. Her eyes widened but before she could scream, a hand was slapped on her mouth and muffled her voice. When she looked up, her eyes met with a pair of livid crimson eyes.

….

Natsume looked down at the girl as he slammed her into the bark of the tree. Before she could scream he slapped his hand over her mouth muffling her scream. When she looked up, his crimson eyes met her brown eyes and he saw the terror in them. While his body pinned he the tree, his free hand made its way to her neck and Natsume's eyes narrowed as his hand clamped around the girl's small neck. His grip tightened and the girl's eyes widened as her air was cut off and her hands went to Natsume's hand trying to pry them off her throat. In response his grip on her throat tightened even more and the girl saw black flecks in her vision.

"You tried to escape," growled Natsume and girl saw the furious gaze in his eyes before he leaned him until their noses were touching. His crimson eyes locked with her brown eyes and her eyes widened when she saw the look in eyes.

"You're going to wish you never did that," hissed Natsume and the girl's eyes widened before they closed as her vision went black.

Natsume stared at the girl as she went limp in his arms. Pulling his hand away from the girl's throat, he looked down at her before he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. Turning back around, Natsume saw Ruka and the other soldier's running up to him. Their eyes widened when they saw the girl on Natsume's shoulders before they al shivered from the look on Natsume's face.

"We're leaving now," he ordered before he walked past them. As he walked, his grip on the girl tightened.

He was going to make sure that she never, NEVER, attempted to run away again.

…

Her body jolted and the girl slowly opened her eyes when she realized that she was on the back of a horse. Her head snapped around and she whirled her head around when she noticed that her legs were tied down and her hands were tied together before her. Suddenly, she something hard against her back and someone's warm breath hit her bare neck. She looked down to see a pair of calloused hands holding onto the reigns. Whipping her head around, her eyes widened when she saw a pair of crimson eyes staring down at her. Opening her mouth, she tried to scream but Natsume slapped his hand over her mouth.

"Don't you dare make a sound," he growled before he looked ahead of him and a smile appeared on his face. Following his gaze, Mikan turned around and saw a castle in the distance. Her eyes widened when she saw the red banner bearing a phoenix hung around the houses they passed and how everyone in the streets were cheering and laughing.

"It can't be!" she whispered and Natsume looked down at her when he heard her whisper and smirked before he leaned in until he face was right next to her hear.

"Welcome to the Hyuga Kingdom, slave," he whispered. A grin formed on his face when he saw the girl start to shake as she looked around with the most horrified expression he had ever seen on a person.

…..

Mikan's eyes widened as she chocked back her tears. It felt as if her heart was being torn to pieces. When she saw the people cheering at them, it finally hit her.

She was in the Hyuga Kingdom. She was the crown prince's slave.

There was no way to escape now.

* * *

**So what did you guys think?**

**Hope you enjoyed and I will go and start working on the next couple of chapters.**


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